Size and multiplicity of placental lakes on 20-week fetal anatomy ultrasound and obstetrical outcomes.

Our objective was to determine if placental lake presence or size are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This was a retrospective cohort of patients who had fetal anatomy ultrasounds at 18-22 weeks and delivered between 2018 and 2022. Placental lakes were classified as small (>2.0-3.9 cm) or large (>4 cm). Multiple gestations, placenta previas, and placenta accretas were excluded. Outcomes included low birthweight, cesarean delivery, primary cesarean for non-reassuring fetal heart tracing, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, and severe preeclampsia. A total of 1052 patients were included; 294 had placental lakes (204 small, 90 large). No differences in pregnancy outcomes were observed. RÉSUMÉ: Notre objectif était de déterminer si la présence d'un lac placentaire et sa taille sont associées à des issues de grossesse défavorables. Il s'agit d'une étude de cohorte rétrospective portant sur des patientes ayant eu une échographie morphologique entre 18 et 22 semaines d'aménorrhée et ayant accouché dans la période de 2018 à 2022. Les lacs placentaires ont été classés comme petits (>2,0-3,9 cm) ou grands (>4 cm). Les cas de grossesse multiple, de placenta prævia et de placenta accreta ont été exclus. Les critères de jugement étaient le faible poids à la naissance, la césarienne, la césarienne primaire pour un tracé cardiaque fœtal non rassurant, le retard de croissance intra-utérin, l'accouchement prématuré et la pré-éclampsie sévère. Au total, 1052 patientes ont été incluses; 294 avaient un lac placentaire (204 petits, 90 grands). Aucune différence n'a été observée dans les issues de grossesse.

Severe skeletal dysplasia caused by a novel FLNB gene mutation.

A late adolescent primigravida was found to have a fetus with a cystic hygroma and significant shortening of the limbs on first-trimester ultrasound. She underwent chorionic villus sampling with normal microarray result. In the early second trimester, the fetus was found to have the absence of all four limbs and a thorough skeletal dysplasia workup was pursued, identifying a variant in the FLNB gene (c.62C>G). The patient underwent termination of pregnancy. The care of this patient was expedited by first-trimester sonographic evidence of limb abnormalities enabling timely clinical management.

Immune markers in goats selected for reduced gastrointestinal nematode egg count under artificial infection conditions.

This study aimed to further investigate the mechanisms responsible for inhibition of gastrointestinal nematode egg production in a line of Scottish Cashmere Goat selected for low faecal egg count. Animals were chosen as the lowest egg producers from a line selected for low egg output (selected group) with a second group from the wider herd based on high faecal egg count as controls. All animals were artificially infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus vitrinus, then treated with anthelmintic and challenge infected prior to euthanasia and post mortem sampling. There was no effect on body weight between groups at any point in the study. Mean faecal egg count was reduced by 68 % in the selected group when compared with the controls. Circulating eosinophil counts were consistently elevated in the selected group, but this was only marginally significant (P = 0.045). Most of the circulating and tissue antibodies (IgG, IgA and IgE) measured were slightly elevated in the selected group but not significantly. Mucosal mast cells, eosinophils and globule leukocyte levels were higher in the abomasal and intestinal tissues in selected animals. Following challenge infection there was no difference in numbers of parasites, however there were more early stage parasite larvae and fewer late stage larvae in the both the abomasum and duodenum of the selected group compared with the unselected group, indicating some inhibition of parasite development. Overall, the study further demonstrated that selection based on low egg count has resulted in a line of goats producing significantly fewer parasites under identical infection with no effect on bodyweight. This appears to be associated with elevation in antibody and effector cells. Some evidence of host inhibition of parasite development was observed in the selected animals.

Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes in singletons: maternal and neonatal outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of gestational age at delivery on maternal and neonatal outcomes in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) and assess various predictors of neonatal and infant mortality in these pregnancies. METHODS: United States birth data from CDC-National Center for Health Statistics natality database for years 2004-2008 was used to identify singleton pregnancies with PPROM and delivery from 32 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks. Controls were singletons at 37-40 weeks, without PPROM. Maternal and neonatal complications reported by all states were analyzed along with neonatal outcomes such as chorioamnionitis and hyaline membrane disease, reported by a subgroup of states. OR (95% CI) were calculated after adjusting for preeclampsia, diabetes, chronic hypertension, maternal race, and infant sex. RESULTS: There were 134,502 PPROM cases and similar number of controls. There was a significant decrease in need for prolonged ventilation, hyaline membrane disease, 5 min Apgar score <7, and NICU admission with advancing gestational age. Placental abruption decreased and chorioamnionitis and cord prolapse were not different between 34 and 37 weeks. We found reductions in early death, neonatal death, and infant mortality with advancing gestational age (p<0.001 for each). Gestational age at delivery was the strongest predictor for early death, neonatal death, and infant mortality in PPROM. These differences persisted after adjusting for antenatal steroid use. CONCLUSIONS: We provide population-based evidence showing a decrease in neonatal complications and death with advancing gestational age in PPROM. Gestational age at delivery in pregnancies with PPROM is the strongest predictor of mortality risk.

Cherenkov Radiation in Optical Fibres as a Versatile Machine Protection System in Particle Accelerators.

Machine protection systems in high power particle accelerators are crucial. They can detect, prevent, and respond to events which would otherwise cause damage and significant downtime to accelerator infrastructure. Current systems are often resource heavy and operationally expensive, reacting after an event has begun to cause damage; this leads to facilities only covering certain operational modes and setting lower limits on machine performance. Presented here is a new type of machine protection system based upon optical fibres, which would be complementary to existing systems, elevating existing performance. These fibres are laid along an accelerator beam line in lengths of ∼100 m, providing continuous coverage over this distance. When relativistic particles pass through these fibres, they generate Cherenkov radiation in the optical spectrum. This radiation propagates in both directions along the fibre and can be detected at both ends. A calibration based technique allows the location of the Cherenkov radiation source to be pinpointed to within 0.5 m with a resolution of 1 m. This measurement mechanism, from a single device, has multiple applications within an accelerator facility. These include beam loss location monitoring, RF breakdown prediction, and quench prevention. Detailed here are the application processes and results from measurements, which provide proof of concept for this device for both beam loss monitoring and RF breakdown detection. Furthermore, highlighted are the current challenges for future innovation.

Ethnic Disparities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 after the Implementation of Universal Screening in Hartford, Connecticut.

Objective The aim of this article was to estimate the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Connecticut, examine racial/ethnic disparities, and assess pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women following the implementation of universal screening for the virus. Materials and methods This is a retrospective cohort study of all obstetric patients admitted to our labor and delivery unit during the first 4 weeks of implementation of universal screening of COVID-19. Viral studies were performed in all neonates born to mothers with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We calculated the prevalence of COVID-19, compared the baseline characteristics and pregnancy outcomes between those who tested positive and negative for the virus, and determined the factors associated with COVID-19. Results A total of 10 (4.6%) of 220 women screened positive for the virus. All were asymptomatic. Week 1 had the highest prevalence of infection, nearing 8%. No neonates were infected. Hispanics were more likely to test positive (odds ratio: 10.23; confidence interval: [2.71-49.1], p = 0.001). Obstetric and neonatal outcomes were similar between the groups ( p > 0.05). Conclusion Although the rate of asymptomatic COVID-19 was low, ethnic disparities were present with Hispanics being more likely to have the infection. Key Points 4.6% of pregnant women in labor and delivery tested positive for COVID-19 while being asymptomatic.Hispanic women were more likely to test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.Pregnancy outcomes were similar between COVID-19 positive and negative women.No vertical transmission was detected.

Disparity in Medicare payments by gender and training track in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.

BACKGROUND: Gender disparities in medicine have been demonstrated in the past, including differences in the attainment of roles in administration and in physician income. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the differences in Medicare payments based on the provider gender and training track among female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeons. STUDY DESIGN: Medicare payments from the Provider Utilization Aggregate Files were used to determine the payments made by Medicare to urogynecologists. This database was merged with the National Provider Identifier registry with information on subspecialty training, years since graduation, and the geographic pricing cost index used for Medicare payment adjustments. Physicians with <90% female patients and those who graduated medical school <7 years ago in obstetrics and gynecology or <8 years ago in urology were excluded. The effects of gender, specialty of training, number of services provided, years of practice, and geographic pricing cost index on physician reimbursement were evaluated using linear mixed modeling. RESULTS: A total of 578 surgeons with female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery subspecialty training met the inclusion criteria. Of those, 517 (89%) were trained as gynecologists, whereas 61 (11%) were trained as urologists. Furthermore, 265 (51%) of the gynecology-trained surgeons and 39 (80%) of the urology-trained surgeons were women. Among the urology-trained surgeons, the median female surgeon was paid $85,962 and their male counterparts were paid $121,531 (41% payment difference). In addition, urology-trained female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery surgeons performed a median of 1135 services and their male counterparts performed a median of 1793 services (57% volume difference). Similarly, among gynecology-trained surgeons, the median female payment was $59,277 with 880 services performed, whereas male gynecology-trained surgeons received a median of $66,880 with 791 services performed, representing a difference of 12% in payments and 11% in services. With linear mixed modeling, male physicians were paid more than female physicians while controlling for specialty training, number of services performed, years of practice, and geographic pricing cost index (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Although Medicare payments are based on an equation, differences in reimbursement by physician gender exist in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery with female surgeons receiving lower payments from Medicare. The differences in reimbursement could not be solely explained by differences in patient volume, area of practice, or years of experience alone, suggesting that, similar to other fields in medicine, female surgeons in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery are not paid as much as their male counterparts.

Resources That Improve Medical Board Licensing Examination Performance.

Purpose Examine the factors improving performance on national medical licensing board examinations. Rationale Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residency programs report the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Comprehensive Osteopathic Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA) Level 1 scores as the most important criteria in selecting candidates to interview. Hypotheses (1) Certain resources are superior for exam preparation. (2) Certain practice tests better assess exam preparedness. (3) USMLE performance will correlate with the COMLEX-USA. Methods One-hundred and two (102) medical students were surveyed regarding preparation for and performance on COMLEX-USA Level 1 and USMLE Step 1. Results USMLE-specific question banks were positively correlated with performance on COMLEX-USA Level 1 and USMLE Step 1 while COMLEX-specific question banks showed no correlation. National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Comprehensive Basic Science Self Assessment (CBSSA) and National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Self-Assessment Examination (COMSAE) practice examinations were positively correlated with performance on the USMLE Step 1 and the COMLEX-USA Level 1. Scores on USMLE Step 1 and COMLEX-USA Level 1 were highly correlated. Students who took USMLE Step 1 performed better on COMLEX-USA Level 1 than those who did not. Conclusion COMLEX-specific resources may not adequately prepare students for COMLEX-USA Level 1. Students studying for COMLEX-USA Level 1 may benefit by preparing for USMLE Step 1.

Mating barriers between genetically divergent strains of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus suggest incipient speciation.

Haemonchus contortus, in common with many nematode species, has extremely high levels of genetic variation within and between field populations derived from distant geographical locations. MHco10(CAVR), MHco3(ISE) and MHco4(WRS) are genetically divergent H. contortus strains, originally derived from Australia, Kenya and South Africa, respectively, that have been maintained by numerous rounds of in vivo experimental infection of sheep. In order to explore potential pre-zygotic competition or post-zygotic incompatibility between the strains, we have investigated the ability of MHco10(CAVR) to interbreed with either MHco3(ISE) or MHco4(WRS) during dual strain co-infections. Sheep were experimentally co-infected with 4000 infective larvae (L3) per os of the MHco10(CAVR) strain and an equal number of either the MHco3(ISE) or the MHco4(WRS) strain L3. The adult worm establishement rates and the proportions of F1 progeny resulting from intra- and inter-strain mating events were determined by admixture analysis of microsatellite multi-locus genotypes. Although there was no difference in adult worm establishment rates, the proportions of F1 progeny of both the MHco10(CAVR) × MHco3(ISE) and MHco10(CAVR) × MHco4(WRS) dual strain co-infections departed from Mendelian expectations. The proportions of inter-strain hybrid F1 progeny were lower than the expected 50%, suggesting either pre-zygotic competition or post-zygotic incompatibility between the co-infecting strains. To investigate this further, both eggs and hatched L1 of broods from single adult female worms recovered from each dual co-infection were genotyped. Unhatched eggs from the broods revealed no inter-strain hybrid genotype deficit, suggesting there is no pre-zygotic competition between the strains. In contrast, there was a deficit in L1 inter-strain hybrid genotypes in the broods derived from MHco3(ISE) or MHco4(WRS) maternal parents, but not from MHco10(CAVR) maternal parents. This suggests that hybrid progeny of MHco10(CAVR) paternal parents have reduced post-zygotic development and/or viability consistent with incipient speciation of the MHco10(CAVR) strain. The presence of mating barriers between allopatric H. contortus strains has important implications for parasite ecology, including the ability of newly introduced anthelmintic-resistant parasite populations to compete and interbreed with populations already established in a region.

A method for single pair mating in an obligate parasitic nematode.

Parasitic nematode species have extremely high levels of genetic diversity, presenting a number of experimental challenges for genomic and genetic work. Consequently, there is a need to develop inbred laboratory strains with reduced levels of polymorphism. The most efficient approach to inbred line development is single pair mating, but this is challenging for obligate parasites where the adult sexual reproductive stages are inside the host, and thus difficult to experimentally manipulate. This paper describes a successful approach to single pair mating of a parasitic nematode, Haemonchus contortus. The method allows for polyandrous mating behaviour and involves the surgical transplantation of a single adult male worm with multiple immature adult females directly into the sheep abomasum. We used a panel of microsatellite markers to monitor and validate the single pair mating crosses and to ensure that the genotypes of progeny and subsequent filial generations were consistent with those expected from a mating between a single female parent of known genotype and a single male parent of unknown genotype. We have established two inbred lines that both show a significant overall reduction in genetic diversity based on microsatellite genotyping and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism. There was an approximately 50% reduction in heterozygous SNP sites across the genome in the MHco3.N1 line compared with the MoHco3(ISE) parental strain. The MHco3.N1 inbred line has subsequently been used to provide DNA template for whole genome sequencing of H. contortus. This work provides proof of concept and methodologies for forward genetic analysis of obligate parasitic nematodes.

Faecal egg counts and immune markers in a line of Scottish Cashmere goats selected for resistance to gastrointestinal nematode parasite infection.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of selection for low faecal egg count (FEC) in Scottish Cashmere goats in comparison to a control line of unselected goats grazing the same pasture. Goats from generations F2 through to F9 were monitored for FEC, bodyweight, peripheral eosinophilia and IgG, IgA and IgE response against Teladorsagia circumcincta from the end of their first grazing season, through winter housing (during which a single artificial challenge dose of 10,000 drug susceptible T. circumcincta was given) and the following full grazing season. The study demonstrated that selected line animals excreted a significantly lower number of parasite eggs (P<0.01) in the majority of generations examined. Liveweight productivity was unaffected by selection. Although selected line animals had greater numbers of circulating eosinophils in many of the generations (four generations of males and six generations of females, P<0.05), there was no direct link between eosinophilia and reduced FEC. Immunoglobulin levels showed no consistent difference between selected and control lines. IgG, IgA and IgE levels were not different between lines over the whole dataset (P>0.05), although the selected line had significantly elevated or reduced levels (P<0.05) for all three within individual generations. There were significant associations between increased IgG and reduced FEC under artificial infection conditions (P=0.02). Increased IgA was also significantly associated with elevated FEC during the second grazing season (P<0.001). The study demonstrates that selection produced a line of goats with consistently reduced FEC compared with control animals, but did not identify a clear relationship between any of the immune markers measured and faecal egg output.

Risk Factors for Hearing Loss in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are at increased risk for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) due, at least in part, to the ototoxic side effects of routine CF therapies. However, the prevalence of SNHL and additional factors contributing to the development of SNHL are unknown. PURPOSE: To identify risk factors associated with the development of SNHL in a large cohort of CF patients who had been referred for audiometric testing. RESEARCH DESIGN: A retrospective study of audiometric results and medication information in a cohort of patients with CF. STUDY SAMPLE: Records of 178 CF patients seen at Boston Children's Hospital for audiometric testing from 2007 to 2010 were reviewed. Mean age of patients was 18 yr (standard deviation = 10 yr), and 98 (55%) of the patients were female. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Audiometric results, medications, and hospitalizations were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between SNHL and the number of hospitalizations and chronic antibiotic use in the year prior to the patients' audiometry. RESULTS: In this sample, 37/178 (21%) patients had SNHL. Twenty-nine (78%) of the 37 patients had bilateral SNHL and 8 (22%) had unilateral SNHL. Across all age groups, the majority of patients had a bilateral hearing loss (HL). A multivariable model showed that older age and more frequent hospitalizations were associated with SNHL. The number of courses of chronic antibiotics in the year prior to audiometric testing was not correlated with rate of HL. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that age and frequency of hospitalizations are key predictors of HL development. Increased awareness and regular screening for SNHL should be included in the routine care of CF patients, particularly those at the highest risk.

Behavior and Sensory Interests Questionnaire: Validation in a sample of children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disability.

Repetitive behaviors, restricted interests and other unusual sensory behaviors often significantly impact the lives of many individuals with developmental disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Identifying specific patterns of atypical behaviors across different disorders allows for improved specificity of diagnoses, monitoring response to treatment and elucidating the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders. The Behavior and Sensory Interests Questionnaire (BSIQ) is a newly designed, continuous dimensional instrument that comprehensively assesses the type, frequency, intensity, age of onset, and duration of these behaviors. The BSIQ takes 15-40 min to administer to a caregiver in an interview format. Using a large sample of children with either ASD, intellectual disabilities or who were typically developing, the construct validity of the BSIQ was confirmed using a series of multi-group confirmatory factor analysis models. Configural and metric invariance were satisfied, but not scalar invariance, as expected. The BSIQ showed acceptable internal consistency, excellent inter-rater reliability and excellent test-retest reliability.

The emergence of resistance to the benzimidazole anthlemintics in parasitic nematodes of livestock is characterised by multiple independent hard and soft selective sweeps.

Anthelmintic resistance is a major problem for the control of parasitic nematodes of livestock and of growing concern for human parasite control. However, there is little understanding of how resistance arises and spreads or of the "genetic signature" of selection for this group of important pathogens. We have investigated these questions in the system for which anthelmintic resistance is most advanced; benzimidazole resistance in the sheep parasites Haemonchus contortus and Teladorsagia circumcincta. Population genetic analysis with neutral microsatellite markers reveals that T. circumcincta has higher genetic diversity but lower genetic differentiation between farms than H. contortus in the UK. We propose that this is due to epidemiological differences between the two parasites resulting in greater seasonal bottlenecking of H. contortus. There is a remarkably high level of resistance haplotype diversity in both parasites compared with drug resistance studies in other eukaryotic systems. Our analysis suggests a minimum of four independent origins of resistance mutations on just seven farms for H. contortus, and even more for T. circumincta. Both hard and soft selective sweeps have occurred with striking differences between individual farms. The sweeps are generally softer for T. circumcincta than H. contortus, consistent with its higher level of genetic diversity and consequent greater availability of new mutations. We propose a model in which multiple independent resistance mutations recurrently arise and spread by migration to explain the widespread occurrence of resistance in these parasites. Finally, in spite of the complex haplotypic diversity, we show that selection can be detected at the target locus using simple measures of genetic diversity and departures from neutrality. This work has important implications for the application of genome-wide approaches to identify new anthelmintic resistance loci and the likelihood of anthelmintic resistance emerging as selection pressure is increased in human soil-transmitted nematodes by community wide treatment programs.

The cognitive and behavioral phenotype of the 16p11.2 deletion in a clinically ascertained population.

BACKGROUND: Deletion of the recurrent ~600 kb BP4-BP5 chromosomal region 16p11.2 has been associated with a wide range of neurodevelopmental outcomes. METHODS: To clarify the phenotype of 16p11.2 deletion, we examined the psychiatric and developmental presentation of predominantly clinically referred individuals, with a particular emphasis on broader autism phenotype characteristics in individuals with recurrent ~600 kb chromosome 16p11.2 deletions. Using an extensive standardized assessment battery across three clinical sites, 85 individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion and 153 familial control subjects were evaluated for symptom presentation and clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: Individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion presented with a high frequency of psychiatric and developmental disorders (>90%). The most commonly diagnosed conditions were developmental coordination disorder, phonologic processing disorder, expressive and receptive language disorders (71% of individuals >3 years old with a speech and language-related disorder), and autism spectrum disorder. Individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion not meeting diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder had a significantly higher prevalence of autism-related characteristics compared with the familial noncarrier control group. Individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion had a range of intellectual ability, but IQ scores were 26 points lower than noncarrier family members on average. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically referred individuals with the 16p11.2 deletion have high rates of psychiatric and developmental disorders and provide a genetically well-defined group to study the emergence of developmental difficulties, particularly associated with the broader autism phenotype.

Considerations for neuropathic pain conditions in life care planning.

Significant progress has been made in assessing and managing neuropathic pain. Newer, more effective treatments with minimal side effects are available. Despite advances in treatments, neuropathic pain remains a multifaceted phenomenon that can be difficult to alleviate. Diagnosis, mechanisms of injury, and treatment recommendations are critical components of life care plans for patients with neuropathic pain. A clear understanding of the underlying issues and careful coordination with neurologists and other treatment providers are key to providing optimal life care plans. Understanding that pain treatments vary over time and by individual patient is integral to comprehensive life care planning.

The genome and transcriptome of Haemonchus contortus, a key model parasite for drug and vaccine discovery.

BACKGROUND: The small ruminant parasite Haemonchus contortus is the most widely used parasitic nematode in drug discovery, vaccine development and anthelmintic resistance research. Its remarkable propensity to develop resistance threatens the viability of the sheep industry in many regions of the world and provides a cautionary example of the effect of mass drug administration to control parasitic nematodes. Its phylogenetic position makes it particularly well placed for comparison with the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the most economically important parasites of livestock and humans. RESULTS: Here we report the detailed analysis of a draft genome assembly and extensive transcriptomic dataset for H. contortus. This represents the first genome to be published for a strongylid nematode and the most extensive transcriptomic dataset for any parasitic nematode reported to date. We show a general pattern of conservation of genome structure and gene content between H. contortus and C. elegans, but also a dramatic expansion of important parasite gene families. We identify genes involved in parasite-specific pathways such as blood feeding, neurological function, and drug metabolism. In particular, we describe complete gene repertoires for known drug target families, providing the most comprehensive understanding yet of the action of several important anthelmintics. Also, we identify a set of genes enriched in the parasitic stages of the lifecycle and the parasite gut that provide a rich source of vaccine and drug target candidates. CONCLUSIONS: The H. contortus genome and transcriptome provide an essential platform for postgenomic research in this and other important strongylid parasites.

Effects of parasitism on cellular immune response in sheep experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus.

This work aimed to study the possible relationships among the magnitude of abomasal worm burden and the proliferation of globular leucocytes and mucosal mast cells in the abomasal mucosa, and the white blood cell count. Eighteen Suffolk × Greyface lambs were infected with Haemonchus contortus, and 12 were kept free of nematodes. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 30, and 57 post-infection (p.i.) for leucogram determination. At day 62, all animals were euthanized to count the total number of nematodes recovered in the abomasum and to count the number of mucosal mast cells and globular leucocytes. On day 57, higher levels of parasitism corresponded to lower leucocyte counts. The infected groups had lower lymphocyte counts throughout the experimental period. Animals with higher numbers of parasites had lower neutrophil and eosinophil counts on day 57. The lower the worm burden, the greater the number of mucosal mast cells (r=-0.85; p<0.01) and globular leucocytes (r=-0.87, p<0.01) observed. The sheep most resistant to haemochosis had greater peripheral and tissue cellular immune responses.

A comparative study of the effects of four treatment regimes on ivermectin efficacy, body weight and pasture contamination in lambs naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes in Scotland.

Refugia-based drenching regimes have been widely recommended to slow development of anthelmintic resistance but there are few comparisons between different treatment approaches in the UK. The impact of four ivermectin treatment regimes on drug efficacy, lamb body weight and nematode contamination during a 154 day grazing season were evaluated in a consecutive five year field study. Regimes were whole-flock treatment every 4 weeks (NST), targeted selective treatment (TST) based on individual performance, strategic whole-flock treatments at pre-determined times (SPT) or whole-flock treatment when clinical signs were apparent (MT). Mean numbers of ivermectin drenches administered per season were 4.0, 1.8, 2.0 and 1.4 for NST, TST, SPT and MT groups, respectively. The mean anthelmintic efficacy (AE) for each treatment group was based on faecal egg count reduction post-treatment employing a bootstrap sampling based algorithm. Mean AE was 95-98% for all groups in 2006 and mean AE (95% confidence limits) for NST declined to 62% (55%, 68%) in 2010. In comparison, AE for TST, SPT and MT in 2010 were 86% (81%, 92%), 86% (83%, 90%) and 83% (78%, 88%), respectively. Body weight in TST and SPT was similar to NST in all years (p > 0.05), however MT lambs were lighter than NST in 2006-2008 (p â©½ 0.04). Tracer lamb worm burdens was lowest in NST but was not significantly different between other groups. Overall, both the TST and SPT regimes appeared to maintain animal performance and conserve anthelmintic efficacy compared with a neo-suppressive anthelmintic treatment regime.

The influence of high intensity terahertz radiation on mammalian cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation.

Understanding the influence of exposure of biological systems to THz radiation is becoming increasingly important. There is some evidence to suggest that THz radiation can influence important activities within mammalian cells. This study evaluated the influence of the high peak power, low average power THz radiation produced by the ALICE (Daresbury Laboratory, UK) synchrotron source on human epithelial and embryonic stem cells. The cells were maintained under standard tissue culture conditions, during which the THz radiation was delivered directly into the incubator for various exposure times. The influence of the THz radiation on cell morphology, attachment, proliferation and differentiation was evaluated. The study demonstrated that there was no difference in any of these parameters between irradiated and control cell cultures. It is suggested that under these conditions the cells are capable of compensating for any effects caused by exposure to THz radiation with the peak powers levels employed in these studies.